Title

Author

Date of Conferral

2017

Degree

Doctor of Business Administration (D.B.A.)

School

Business Administration

Advisor

Jamie Klein

Abstract

Seventy percent of hospital leaders report a lack of succession planning practices as an organizational strategy to mitigate the risk of talent loss and for addressing nursing shortages. The purpose of this multiple case study was to explore succession planning strategies 6 hospital managers used to reduce the shortage of nurse leaders in 2 Hampton Roads, Virginia hospitals. The conceptual framework was Rothwell's succession planning model for understanding the succession planning strategies the hospital managers used to reduce the shortage of nurse leaders. After conducting semistructured interviews, and reviewing supporting hospitals' documents, techniques of compiling, disassembling, reassembling, interpreting, and concluding were used for data analysis. Methodological triangulation was also to validate the findings and ensure the trustworthiness of interpretations. The principal themes emerging from the analysis were identifying organizational staffing needs, providing advancement opportunities, identifying potential leaders, and preparing nurses for leadership positions. The potential pathways for effecting beneficial social change are contributing to leaders' knowledge of succession planning strategies to reduce nurse leader vacancies and contributing to the welfare of society by improving the continuity of healthcare services for patients and communities.